Gas gun having air driving device

ABSTRACT

A compressed gas gun includes an upper housing having a barrel for receiving projectiles to be fired and having a high pressure storage chamber, a loading bolt slidably engaged in the upper housing and movable to feed the projectile forward to a firing position. A pipe is attached to the loading bolt and includes an inner space, a conduit having a pathway, and one or more apertures for communicating the inner space with the barrel. An enclosing device may be used for selectively enclosing a passage of the loading bolt to allow the pressure gas to fill the pipe and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel, and for selectively disengaging from the loading bolt and enclosing the conduit to allow the pressure gas to fire the projectile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a compressed gas gun, and moreparticularly to a compressed gas gun having a simplified pneumatic orair driving system for simplifying the manufacturing processes of thecompressed gas gun and for reducing the manufacturing cost of thecompressed gas gun.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical compressed gas guns comprise a projectile feed tube forsupplying projectiles into a barrel of a gun body one at a time, and theprojectiles are preferably spherical in form and contain a marking fluidtherein, a loading bolt is slidably disposed in the rear portion of thebarrel for engaging with the one projectile that is supplied or fed intothe barrel and for feeding or loading the projectile slightly forwardlytoward a firing position.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,099 to Lee discloses one of the typicalgas powered guns or paint ball guns also comprising a loading boltslidably disposed in a rear portion of a barrel of a gun body forengaging with the projectile and for feeding or loading the projectileforwardly toward a firing position to wait for being fired. Normally, ahammer and a complicated control device are further required to beprovided and attached to the gun body for moving or operating oractuating the loading bolt to engage and to feed or load theprojectiles.

However, the loading bolt and the hammer and the control device form arather complicated configuration that may not be easily manufactured andassembled and that may include a greatly increased manufacturing cost.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional compressed gas guns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide acompressed gas gun including a simplified pneumatic or air drivingsystem for simplifying the manufacturing processes of the compressed gasgun and for reducing the manufacturing cost of the compressed gas gun.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided acompressed gas gun comprising an upper housing including a barrel havinga bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to the barrel andopened into the bore of the barrel for supplying projectiles into thebore of the barrel one at a time, and including a high pressure storagechamber communicating with the bore of the barrel, a lower housinghaving a hand grip extended downwardly for being grasped and held by auser, a loading bolt slidably engaged in the bore of the upper housingand movable to engage with the projectile that is supplied into the boreof the barrel for feeding the projectile forwardly toward a firingposition, the loading bolt including a passage communicating with thebore of the barrel for supplying pressure gas to propel or to fire theprojectile, a pipe attached to the loading bolt and including an innerspace, and including a rearwardly extending conduit having a pathwayformed in the conduit and communicating with the inner space of thepipe, the pipe including at least one aperture communicating the innerspace of the pipe with the high pressure storage chamber of the barreland the upper housing and for allowing the pressure gas to flow from theinner space of the pipe into the high pressure storage chamber of thebarrel and the upper housing, and an enclosing device for selectivelyenclosing the passage of the loading bolt to allow the pressure gas toflow and to fill the inner space of the pipe and the pathway of theconduit and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel and theupper housing, and for selectively disengaging from the passage of theloading bolt and enclosing the pathway of the conduit to allow thepressure gas to flow through the passage of the loading bolt and to firethe projectile.

The loading bolt includes a peripheral bulge slidably engaged in thebore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of the upperhousing. The upper housing includes an inner peripheral shouldercommunicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of thebarrel of the upper housing, for engaging with the peripheral bulge ofthe loading bolt for limiting the loading bolt to move relative to theupper housing.

The upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein forcommunicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of thebarrel of the upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flowinto the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of theupper housing and to move the loading bolt rearwardly. A control deviceis disposed in the lower housing and includes a hose coupled to the portfor supplying the pressure gas to the bore and the high pressure storagechamber of the barrel of the upper housing.

The enclosing device includes a blocking member slidably received in theinner space of the pipe and selectively movable to be forced onto oragainst the loading bolt to enclose the passage of the loading bolt andselectively movable to be forced onto or against the conduit to enclosethe pathway of the conduit.

The upper housing includes a partition having a port formed therein forcommunicating with the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of thebarrel of the upper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flowinto the bore and the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel of theupper housing and to move the blocking member to enclose the passage ofthe loading bolt.

The upper housing includes a rear end cap for blocking the high pressurestorage chamber and the bore of the barrel and the upper housing, theend cap includes a cavity formed therein and communicating with the boreof the barrel and an aperture formed therein and aligned with the portof the partition for communicating the cavity of the end cap and thebore of the barrel with the port of the partition.

A piston is slidably engaged onto the conduit of the pipe and movabletoward the pipe and arranged to allow the pressure gas to force thepiston forwardly toward the pipe and to selectively force the pressuregas to flow from the high pressure storage chamber of the barrel intothe inner space of the pipe and then to flow into the passage of theloading bolt. The upper housing includes a spring member engaged withthe piston for moving the piston toward the pipe.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view of a compressed gas gun inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of a loading device of the compressedgas gun;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a flexible or resilientcontrol member of the compressed gas gun;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, illustratingthe operation of the compressed gas gun; and

FIGS. 5, 6 are further partial cross sectional views similar to FIGS. 1and 4, illustrating the operation of the loading bolt of the compressedgas gun.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-2, a compressed gasgun 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an upperhousing 10, and a lower housing 30 having a hand grip 31 extendeddownwardly therefrom for being grasped or held by the users. The upperhousing 10 includes a barrel 11 provided or extended forwardlytherefrom, and a projectile feed tube 12 attached to the barrel 11 andopened into the barrel 11 for feeding or supplying projectiles 80 into abore 13 of the barrel 11 one at a time. The bore 13 may be formed in thebarrel 11 and/or in the upper housing 10.

A loading device 50 includes a loading bolt 51 slidably disposed orengaged in the upper housing 10 or in the bore 13 of the barrel 11, andmovable to engage with the projectile 80 that is supplied or fed intothe barrel 11 (FIGS. 1, 4) and for feeding or loading the projectile 80forwardly toward a firing position (FIG. 4). The loading bolt 51includes a passage 52 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13of the barrel 11 for supplying pneumatic air or high pressure gas topropel or to fire the projectile 80. The pneumatic air or high pressuregas source, such as the typical gas bottle (not shown) or the like maybe attached to the lower housing 30 for supplying the pneumatic air orhigh pressure gas to the compressed gas gun 1.

The upper housing 10 includes a high pressure storage chamber 14 formedin an intermediate or middle portion of the upper housing 10 andcommunicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing10, and includes an end cap 15 attached to the rear portion of the upperhousing 10 for blocking or enclosing the high pressure storage chamber14 and the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10. Thecompressed gas gun 1 further includes a partition 20 formed or providedbetween the upper housing 10 and the lower housing 30 and having one ormore, such as two ports 21, 23 formed therein for communicating the bore13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 with the lower housing30.

It is preferable that the end cap 15 includes a cavity 16 formed thereinand communicating with the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upperhousing 10, and further includes an aperture 17 formed therein andaligned with one of the ports 21 of the partition 20 for communicatingthe cavity 16 of the end cap 15 and thus the bore 13 of the barrel 11 orof the upper housing 10 with the lower housing 30. A control device 40,such as a solenoid valve, a microswitch, a three-way or four-way controlvalve 40 or the like is disposed in the lower housing 30 and coupled tothe ports 21, 23 of the partition 20 with such as hoses 41, 43respectively, and also coupled to the typical gas bottle (not shown) orthe like for controlling the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flowto the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

A typical trigger 32 is pivotally attached to the lower housing 30 andpreferably arranged within a trigger guard 33, for engaging with thecontrol device 40 in order to actuate the control device 40 toselectively control or supply the pneumatic air or high pressure gasdirectly to the bore 13 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 orindirectly through the cavity 16 and the aperture 17 of the end cap 15via either of the ports 21, 23 of the partition 20 and the hoses 41, 43respectively. The upper housing 10 includes an inner peripheral shoulder18 formed therein and communicating with the bore 13 or the highpressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.

The loading bolt 51 of the loading device 50 includes a piston or anenlarged peripheral bulge 53 extended radially and outwardly therefromand slidably engaged in the bore 13 or the high pressure storage chamber14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and the inner peripheralshoulder 18 of the upper housing 10 may be engaged with the enlargedperipheral bulge 53 of the loading bolt 51 for limiting the movement ofthe loading bolt 51 relative to the upper housing 10, and for locatingthe peripheral bulge 53 of the loading bolt 51 behind the front port 23of the partition 20, and arranged to allow the pneumatic air or highpressure gas supplied to the front port 23 of the partition 20 to forcethe peripheral bulge 53 and thus the loading bolt 51 rearwardly towardthe end cap 15 (FIGS. 5, 6).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the loading bolt 51 includes a threadedportion or an outer thread 54 formed or provided on the middle portionthereof and located or arranged behind the peripheral bulge 53, andfurther includes an extension 55 extended rearwardly and having an outerdiameter smaller than that of the loading bolt 51 and the outer threador the threaded portion 54. The loading device 50 further includes apipe 60 having an inner thread 61 formed therein for threading with theouter thread or the threaded portion 54 of the loading bolt 51 and forattaching or securing the pipe 60 to the loading bolt 51.

The pipe 60 includes a reduced conduit 62 extended rearwardly therefromand slidably engaged into the cavity 16 of the end cap 15 and having apathway 63 formed therein for communicating with the cavity 16 of theend cap 15 and an inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and for allowing thepneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the hose 41 and the port21 of the partition 20 and the cavity 16 and the aperture 17 of the endcap 15 into the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and then into the innerspace 64 of the pipe 60, best shown in FIG. 4. The pipe 60 includes oneor more apertures 65 formed therein for communicating the inner space 64of the pipe 60 with the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel11 or of the upper housing 10 and for allowing the pneumatic air or highpressure gas to flow from the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 into thehigh pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upperhousing 10.

The loading device 50 further includes a blocking or enclosing member 70slidably received in the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and movable to beforced onto or against the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51 (FIG. 4)by the pneumatic air or high pressure gas that flows into the innerspace 64 of the pipe 60 in order to selectively block or enclose thepassage 52 of the loading bolt 51, and thus to allow the pneumatic airor high pressure gas to flow into and to be filled within the innerspace 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and thehigh pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upperhousing 10. It is preferable that the blocking member 70 is made ofsoft, resilient, or spring rubber or other synthetic materials.

The loading device 50 further includes a piston 75 slidably engaged ontothe conduit 62 or the pipe 60 and movable between the pipe 60 and theend cap 15 (FIGS. 4-6), and engageable with the end cap 15 for limitingthe movement of the piston 75 relative to the upper housing 10 and thepipe 60 and the end cap 15. A spring member 77 is located or disposedbehind the piston 75 or engaged between the piston 75 and the end cap 15to force the piston 75 forwardly toward the pipe 60 and the loading bolt51 and away from the end cap 15 (FIG. 5), and to selectively force thepneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow from the high pressurestorage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10 into theinner space 64 of the pipe 60 and then to flow into the passage 52 ofthe loading bolt 51 and to propel or to fire the projectile 80, bestshown in FIG. 5.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 4, when the compressed gas gun 1 isinitialized or energized or actuated by such as pulling the trigger 32once and by the user, for example, the control device 40 may actuate orcontrol the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the hose 41and then into the port 21 of the partition 20 and the cavity 16 and theaperture 17 of the end cap 15 and then into the pathway 63 of theconduit 62 and into the inner space 64 of the pipe 60, for allowing thepneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into and to be filled withinthe inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62and the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of theupper housing 10. The blocking member 70 may be moved and forced onto oragainst the extension 55 of the loading bolt 51 by the pneumatic air orhigh pressure gas in order to block or enclose the passage 52 of theloading bolt 51.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 40 may then switch off or openthe rear hose 41 to control or to release the pneumatic air or highpressure gas to flow out of the rear hose 41. When the rear hose 41 isreleased or opened, and the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in thehigh pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upperhousing 10 may force the blocking member 70 to move rearwardly towardand onto or against the conduit 62 of the pipe 60 in order to block orenclose the pathway 63 of the conduit 62.

When the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 is blocked or enclosed by theblocking member 70 and when the blocking member 70 is moved away fromthe extension 55 of the loading bolt 51, the pneumatic air or highpressure gas in the high pressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 orof the upper housing 10 and the inner space 64 of the pipe 60 may beguided to flow into the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 and to propelor to fire the projectile 80. At this moment, the piston 75 may also beforced to move forwardly toward the pipe 60 and the loading bolt 51 andto further force the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to furtherforcefully propel or fire the projectile 80.

As shown in FIG. 6, after the projectile 80 has been propelled or fired,the control device 40 may then be switched or actuated to control thepneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow into the further or fronthose 43 and then into the front port 23 of the partition 20, and then toforce and to move the peripheral bulge 53 and thus the loading bolt 51rearwardly toward the end cap 15, and thus for allowing the otherprojectile 80 to be fed or supplied into the bore 13 of the barrel 11.As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 40 may then be switched oractuated to control the pneumatic air or high pressure gas to flow intothe rear hose 41 and the rear port 21 of the partition 20 again.

When the pneumatic air or high pressure gas flows into the rear hose 41and the rear port 21 of the partition 20 again, the blocking member 70again may be moved to force onto or against the extension 55 of theloading bolt 51 in order to selectively block or enclose the passage 52of the loading bolt 51 again, and thus to allow the pneumatic air orhigh pressure gas to flow into and to be filled within the inner space64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the highpressure storage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10.The pneumatic air or high pressure gas may also cause the loading bolt51 to move the projectile 80 forwardly toward the firing position again,and may also force the piston 75 to move rearwardly and to engage withthe end cap 15 again (FIG. 4).

It is to be noted that, when the trigger 32 is pulled once by the user,the control device 40 may be actuated or controlled to first supply thepneumatic air or high pressure gas to the rear hose 41 (FIG. 4) in orderto fill the pneumatic air or high pressure gas in the inner space 64 ofthe pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62 and the high pressurestorage chamber 14 of the barrel 11 or of the upper housing 10, and thecontrol device 40 may then switch off the rear hose 41 (FIG. 5) in orderto fire the projectile 80, and then to supply the pneumatic air or highpressure gas to the front hose 43 (FIG. 6) in order to move the loadingbolt 51 and the piston 75 rearwardly to the original position as shownin FIG. 4.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, it is preferable that the blockingmember 70 includes a peripheral groove 71 formed therein for forming ordefining an outer peripheral flap 72 and for allowing the outerperipheral flap 72 to be slightly enlarged or expanded to suitably blockthe inner space 64 of the pipe 60 and the pathway 63 of the conduit 62when the rear hose 41 may be released or opened. The blocking member 70may thus be acted or used as a blocking means or device for selectivelyblocking the passage 52 of the loading bolt 51 or the inner space 64 ofthe pipe 60 or the pathway 63 of the conduit 62.

Accordingly, the compressed gas gun in accordance with the presentinvention includes a simplified pneumatic or air driving system forsimplifying the manufacturing processes of the compressed gas gun andfor reducing the manufacturing cost of the compressed gas gun.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A compressed gas gun comprising: an upper housing including a barrelhaving a bore, and including a projectile feed tube attached to saidbarrel and opened into said bore of said barrel for supplyingprojectiles into said bore of said barrel one at a time, and including ahigh pressure storage chamber communicating with said bore of saidbarrel, a lower housing having a hand grip extended downwardly for beinggrasped and held by a user, a loading bolt slidably engaged in said boreof said upper housing and movable to engage with said projectile that issupplied into said bore of said barrel for feeding said projectileforwardly toward a firing position, said loading bolt including apassage communicating with said bore of said barrel for supplyingpressure gas to propel or to fire said projectile, a pipe attached tosaid loading bolt and including an inner space, and including arearwardly extending conduit having a pathway formed in said conduit andcommunicating with said inner space of said pipe, said pipe including atleast one aperture communicating said inner space of said pipe with saidhigh pressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upper housing andfor allowing the pressure gas to flow from said inner space of said pipeinto said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upperhousing, and means for selectively enclosing said passage of saidloading bolt to allow the pressure gas to flow and to fill said innerspace of said pipe and said pathway of said conduit and said highpressure storage chamber of said barrel and said upper housing, and forselectively disengaging from said passage of said loading bolt andenclosing said pathway of said conduit to allow the pressure gas to flowthrough said passage of said loading bolt and to fire said projectile.2. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein said loadingbolt includes a peripheral bulge slidably engaged in said bore and saidhigh pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing. 3.The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper housingincludes an inner peripheral shoulder communicating with said bore andsaid high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upper housing,for engaging with said peripheral bulge of said loading bolt forlimiting said loading bolt to move relative to said upper housing. 4.The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 2, wherein said upper housingincludes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating withsaid bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of saidupper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into said boreand said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upperhousing and to move said loading bolt rearwardly.
 5. The compressed gasgun as claimed in claim 4, wherein a control device is disposed in saidlower housing and includes a hose coupled to said port for supplying thepressure gas to said bore and said high pressure storage chamber of saidbarrel of said upper housing.
 6. The compressed gas gun as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said enclosing means includes a blocking memberslidably received in said inner space of said pipe and selectivelymovable to be forced onto or against said loading bolt to enclose saidpassage of said loading bolt and selectively movable to be forced ontoor against said conduit to enclose said pathway of said conduit.
 7. Thecompressed gas gun as claimed in claim 6, wherein said upper housingincludes a partition having a port formed therein for communicating withsaid bore and said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of saidupper housing, and for supplying the pressure gas to flow into said boreand said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel of said upperhousing and to move said blocking member to enclose said passage of saidloading bolt.
 8. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 7, whereinsaid upper housing includes a rear end cap for blocking said highpressure storage chamber and said bore of said barrel and said upperhousing, said end cap includes a cavity formed therein and communicatingwith said bore of said barrel and an aperture formed therein and alignedwith said port of said partition for communicating said cavity of saidend cap and said bore of said barrel with said port of said partition.9. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 1, wherein a piston isslidably engaged onto said conduit of said pipe and movable toward saidpipe and arranged to allow the pressure gas to force said pistonforwardly toward said pipe and to selectively force the pressure gas toflow from said high pressure storage chamber of said barrel into saidinner space of said pipe and then to flow into said passage of saidloading bolt.
 10. The compressed gas gun as claimed in claim 9, whereinsaid upper housing includes a spring member engaged with said piston formoving said piston toward said pipe.